Never alone for the holidays
by leonsalanna
Summary: Bones is invited to a domestic Christmas with Seeley and Parker and who could resist that Booth charm? Takes place around Season 1.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Never Alone for the Holidays

Author: leonsalanna

Summary: Bones is invited to a domestic Christmas with Seeley and Parker and who could resist that Booth charm? Takes place around Season 1.

Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me except the particular order of words on the page. All characters belong to the Bones writers.

*Ring ring*

"_Booth._

_Hey Rebecca. What's going on?_

_Oh, that sounds nice. Where are you staying?_

_And is Parker going with you or is he spending Christmas with his old man?_

_Nope, no plans. I'm looking forward to it. Will you give him his presents yourself or want to leave them with me?_

_Sounds good. I'm still picking him up tomorrow, right?_

_Okee-doke. I'll see you when I drop him off on Sunday then._

_Yep. Bye."_

Booth shut his phone and leaped up to punch his fist in the air, a smile lighting up his face. After Rebecca repeatedly keeping him over the holidays, Booth was going to have his son to himself for a whole week. He'd probably have to work some of the days, but Parker always enjoyed the lab, with Angela fussing over him and Hodgins showing him cool new experiments.

"You certainly look happy, Booth."

He spun around to see Bones watching him with an amused expression. He guessed she had seen his little celebration. "Hey Bones. Rebecca and Drew are going skiing in the mountains for a few days over Christmas, so Parker is staying with me. Man, I've gotta find some really awesome presents now…"

"So you're happy you get to see your son. Why is Christmas with him so important? It's just a largely commercial ritual?"

Booth looked pained at the question. "Christmas is a time to spend with family and loved ones, Bones. To be alone on the holiday is to feel like you're ending the year a failure, like no one loves you." Bones shrugged, seemingly not convinced. Booth abandoned any hope of explaining and decided to ask about his partner instead. "What are you doing over Christmas?"

"Well I usually go on a dig, but the one I was planning on has been halted temporarily due to administrative issues. I'll probably find work around here or stay home and get some writing done."

"You're not celebrating with _anyone_? Not even calling up a friend to meet you for dinner?"

Bones shook her head. "No, Booth. I haven't had your idea of a traditional Christmas since I was very young. Anyway, did you ever get that missing persons file Cam had requested?"

Booth stared at her for a moment, stunned by her bleak view of Christmas. She seemed almost…sad? He shook himself to snap out of it and said, "Yeah, it's in my car. I'll run out and get it." He walked away toward the garage. He couldn't believe how nonchalant she was. Well, at least he'd have Parker to be with this year.

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The next day at 2:00, Booth left the Jeffersonian and drove to Parker's school. He got out and leaned against the door, watching the doors in wait for his son. His eyes had just begun to wander to the other parents around him when he heard "Dad! Dad!" Hurtling towards him came Parker, bookbag flapping against his back as he ran towards his father.

"Parker!" Booth exclaimed, as he knelt down for a hug. His son embraced him and then scrambled into the car. Booth laughed and walked around to the driver's side. As he pulled away from the school, Parker excitedly started recounting the week at school, his words tripping after each other. "…and we played DODGEBALL, Dad! And then in science, we did a REALLY COOL experiment, although I was telling them about the one I did with Dr. Hodgins and that was SO much cooler. And…" While stopped at a traffic light, Booth affectionately ruffled the small boy's hair.

They arrived at Booth's home not long after Parker ran out of things to say and the minute Booth opened the door, Parker bolted inside to grab a soda. While he drank, Booth sat at the table with him.

"So Park, Mom told you that you're spending Christmas with me?"

"Yep! Her and Drew are going skiing."

"You and me are gonna make the best of it as two bachelors, eh, kid?" Parker nodded enthusiastically. "Now I'm going to ask you something and since Christmas is your favorite holiday, you have the power to say yes or no." Parker looked up, curious. "Bones doesn't have anyone to spend Christmas with. If she agreed, would you want us to ask her over for Christmas Day?"

He had his answer when Parker's eyes lit up. "Dr. Bones! She's the reason my science teacher likes me!" Booth laughed.

"Okay, I'll ask her. Now what say you and me go shopping for a Christmas tree tomorrow?"

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Monday morning, Booth wandered into Angela's office, where she was working on a sketch of a victim.

"Hey Angela, how's the sketch going?"

She looked up, surprised. "It's going. I'm sorry, do you need it now?"

She watched as Booth wandered around the office, touching various things on the shelves. "No, no, just wanted to check…you know…. I should probably go check in with Bones," he said and started for the day, looking very awkward.

She half rose from the desk. "Seeley Booth, plant your butt in the chair. You don't 'wander' in here unless you want to talk, so talk."

He slunk back to the indicated chair, after closing the door, and began speaking. "Well, you might have heard, since word travels so quickly here, that I've got Parker for Christmas. So I was telling Bones the other day and she started talking about her lack of understanding of 'the commercial ritual'." Angela started to nod in understanding. "But then she mentioned that she hasn't had a real Christmas since she was young. She wouldn't show it, but I'm pretty good at reading her and she seemed kind of wistful, you know? So…I was thinking about inviting her over to share Christmas with me and Parker."

Angela clapped her hands in delight. "You want to give Brennan the Christmas she hasn't had! That is so sweet, Booth!"

He shoved his hands in his pocket and asked, "Do you think she'd go for it? Any suggestions?"

Angela tapped a slender finger against her cheek. "Hm…I don't know; it's usually pretty hard to tear her away from the work she buries herself in. However, I think you'd have the most luck out of anyone in convincing her." Booth cocked his head to the side, eyes narrowed in confusion. "She just might go for it. I assume for Parker, you'll be doing the usual presents under the tree and everything? Nice Christmas dinner?"

At his nods, she continued, "Then that should be enough. Go for it! And don't forget to tell me how it goes."

Booth rose and thanked her, getting a hug in response. His hand was on the handle when Angela spoke up, "Oh, and Booth? Don't ask her about previous Christmases. If she wants to tell you, she will." Booth studied her face, looking for something that would explain her comment, but he soon just nodded and left.

"AND I WANT TO HEAR ABOUT ANY MISTLETOE INCIDENTS!"

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"BONES!"

"I'm in here, Booth, you don't need to shout."

Booth followed her voice until he wound up at the door to Limbo. "Hey Bones."

She rolled her eyes at him. "I think most of the lab heard that you were looking for me, so I doubt you just stopped by to say 'hey'."

"Ooh, snarky today," Booth teased as he fell into step with the scientist who started down the long hall, glancing at drawer numbers. She retrieved some bones from the drawer she stopped in front of and then began walking back to one of the labs. Booth kept quiet by her side and then perched himself on one of the tables as she began to examine the bone for markings. "Can I ask you for a favor, Bones?"

"Well, I imagine you will ask me anyway and my real answer depends on your actual question, so go ahead."

"You know that Parker is having Christmas with me this year. And you know he usually spends Christmas with Rebecca and Drew, sometimes their parents as well. I- I don't want him to feel different about this Christmas, you know? I don't know if he'd feel upset about just spending the time with one doting adult, rather than two. He usually keeps his feelings about me and Rebecca inside, so I don't know if that would bring up feeling rejected by his mom if she's going off without him over the holiday."

"Oh, I see. You are afraid because he will have one parental figure instead of two, he'll feel abandonment by his mother? That seems like something you should ask Sweets about." Booth watched as she tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear from where it had been hanging in front of her eyes.

"Not quite. I was wondering, and you can say no, if you'd want to spend Christmas Day with us. Not as if you were a replacement mom or my girlfriend," Booth laughed nervously. "But you know Parker loves you and if you were there he probably wouldn't think of his mom so much. You know he told me the other day that you and the things you've shown him are the reason his science teacher likes him so much. So what do you say? And obviously if you have plans or want time to think it over, just say so."

Bones was staring at him, clearly surprised at the request. "You want to share your holiday with your son with me?" Booth's charm smile was the only response she got. "Let me finish up these tests and we'll do lunch at the diner, okay?"

Booth knew that was her way of asking for some time to think about it, so he said, "Give me a call and I'll swing by to pick you up," and wandered out of the lab.

Okay, so the plan was working so far. He already had a tree (having been dragged by Parker around the farm until he found the _perfect_ tree) and he had almost gotten Bones to agree to come.


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Never Alone for the Holidays

Author: leonsalanna

Summary: Bones is invited to a domestic Christmas with Seeley and Parker and who could resist that Booth charm? Takes place around Season 1.

Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me except the particular order of words on the page. All characters belong to the Bones writers.

* * *

><p>He didn't mean to be conceited, but Booth thought that Parker definitely got his looks from him. Women at the church, young and old, had been fussing over the two handsome Booths when they went for Christmas Eve mass. "Oh, your son looks just like you! And doesn't he look dashing in his suit! It's so cute how you two are wearing matching ties!"<p>

At one point Parker leaned over to his dad and whispered, "Dad, why do they keep coming up to us?"

Booth laughed and replied, "It's the famous Booth charm, buddy. My Pops has it, I have it, you have it. We dress up nice and smile and women can't resist us."

He was rather taken aback when Parker asked frankly in return, "Then why don't you have a girlfriend?"

Booth opened his mouth, astonished, but then the congregation rose to begin the mass and Booth hushed his son instead.

The service proceeded and Booth followed the other worshippers in the familiar movements, but his mind was elsewhere. He thought about the past year and its cases. He thought about how many times he had narrowly escaped death, sending a prayer of thanks upward. He thought of Rebecca, who he had once been so in love with, and her new boyfriend. He thought about his wonderful son, who was quietly dozing through the sermon on the pew next to him. And he thought about the beautiful scientist, his partner, whose defenses Booth threw himself against daily.

He was rousted from his thoughts by a murmur coming from the boy next to him. He smiled down at his son, who stirred from his nap. It was good timing because the service ended right after and the two Booths began wishing "Merry Christmas" to the others around them and getting hand-shakes, hugs, and kisses on the cheek. "Come on, Park," Booth said to his still sleepy son. They got out to the car and began driving home.

"Dad?"

"Mmm?"

"Santa will still know to find me here, right?"

"You bet. And I sent him a letter, just in case."

Satisfied, Parker nestled down in his seat and fell back to sleep. Booth ended up having to pick him up and carry him inside. "Okay, buddy, work with me," he whispered as he tried to navigate his son's limbs out of his suit and into his pajamas. He then went back into the kitchen, where he fixed himself a cup of coffee and waited.

After checking on Parker a few times and finding him still fast asleep, he filled up his stocking and placed the presents under the tree. Some presents he left strewn around the room, just as if Santa had set them up. He put some things he had gotten himself, socks, aftershave, toothpaste, etc. in his own stocking and looked around, satisfied with his work. He ate the cookies they had put out earlier in the night, making sure to leave crumbs, and drank the milk. He looked up at the door to the kitchen and thought briefly about putting mistletoe up, remembering rather fondly his last encounter with the stuff, but shook his head and moved on.

He walked towards his bedroom, but turned and looked at the room. It looked…like a traditional American home at Christmas. It looked like the best he could do for the two most important people in his life. Satisfied, he turned in for the night.

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"Dad! Dad! Wake up! It's Christmas! Santa came! Get up, get up, get up!" Booth turned over and groaned, before being assaulted by a small body hurling itself on top of him.

"I'm up, I'm up," he grumbled. There really was no way to tell your child to go back to sleep on Christmas morning. He grabbed the squirming boy and wrestled him into the covers. "Come on Parker, you're helping me make the cinnamon rolls while we wait for Bones to get here." Ignoring the indignant cries at being made to "wait", Booth got up and pulled on an old Army Ranger shirt and changed into jeans. Just for good measure, he threw on red and green striped socks, as well. In the kitchen, he instructed Parker how to start the rolls while he fixed himself a cup of coffee. Once he had coffee, he'd feel human again. And then it would be Christmas. Even before he got the warm drink down, however, he found Parker's exuberance contagious and soon the two were singing Christmas carols at the top of their lungs while making the rolls.

After they put the dough off to the side to rise, the two Booths sat next to each other at the counter, one sipping coffee and the other hot cocoa. "So," Booth said, turning to face his son, "what was that last night about me getting a girlfriend?"

Parker kicked his feet a few times. "Well, Mom has Drew and you don't have nobody. Not even a dog. Don't you get lonely?"

Booth swallowed. "I've got everybody I work with. I spend time with Angela, Hodgins, and Cam. Lots of time Bones will come over with Thai food and we do work. I do okay; you don't have to worry about your old man. Besides, being an FBI agent doesn't leave much time for a social life. You've seen how many times things come up at the last minute."

"Well, why don't you get a girlfriend you work with? Like Bones, she's pretty. And she's never boring."

This was just getting awkward. "Yes, Bones is pretty. But…something happened at work once and someone I used to date was in danger. As an agent, I'm supposed to make the best decision without letting personal feelings get in the way." Yeah, like he didn't anyway. "So I'm not going to date someone I work with again."

Parker looked at him seriously and then leaned over to wrap his little arms around his dad. Booth hugged him in return but started back when Parker asked, "Mom says she doesn't think you get any. Any what?"

"Woah, woah, woah. Mom said that to _you_?"

"No, but I heard it."

Booth looked his son straight in the eye and said, "I promise that when I find the right girl, I'll marry her and give you a step-mom to deal with. Of course, she'll have to pass your inspection, first." Parker nodded, satisfied, then hopped up to see if the dough was ready yet. Booth thought about the conversation they just had, touched that his son worried about him being lonely. But he wasn't, right? He didn't mind coming home to an empty apartment. But it still seemed so much brighter when there was laughter and the smell of Thai food floating in from the kitchen.

The doorbell rang. "Bones!" Parker shouted and then sprinted to the door, Booth following behind. Parker got there first and threw open the door. Bones smiled and said "Merry Christmas, Parker. Hi, Booth."

Booth smiled back at her and grabbed the back of Parker's collar before he could give her a hug. "Why don't you let her put her things down _before_ hugging her, buddy." Bones laughed and walked inside, boxes cradled in her arms.

"Come on, Dr. Bones! There's presents!" Parker exclaimed, running off towards the living room. Booth rolled his eyes and laughed, then grabbed the gifts from Bones so she could take her coat off.

"As you can tell, he's a little excited."

"I can see that," she replied, chuckling. She hung her coat in the closet and then followed Booth into the room, where she stopped and looked at the decorations. The lights shone on the tree and ornaments decorated its branches. Full stockings hung on the back of a chair and snowflakes were taped to the windows. A candle flickered in the corner, the smell of cinnamon wafting through the room. Booth was pleased to see her admiring the room when he turned around from putting the boxes down. He also watched her, a smile playing on his lips, as she knelt to give Parker a big hug. After she stood, she looked at Booth and asked, "Any chance of a coffee?"

He looked at her with a pained expression. "If you knew what time this little monster woke me up, you would know the answer to that question."

She cocked her head to one side. "Why so early?"

Parker looked at her as if she had just asked who Santa Claus was. "Well you're supposed to get up early! You have to see what Santa brought!"

Over his head, Booth started making signs at Bones, warning her against saying anything about Santa Claus. "Let's get you that coffee, eh Bones? Parker, no peeking!" Bones followed Booth into the kitchen, which had begun to smell deliciously like cinnamon buns. As he began fixing Bones' coffee, he whispered to her, "Please don't say anything about Santa to him, Bones."

"I won't, Booth. But there are so many illogical points to this belief in a man who lives year-round in the North Pole with reindeer who fly and who can deliver presents to every Christian child in the world in one night. Even with time zones, it is impossible. A smart child like Parker should be able to deduce that."

Booth sighed and stirred the coffee. "It's just a piece of childhood everyone goes through. I'm letting him have it. He'll figure it out for himself at some point."

An impatient voice called from the living room, "Are you guys going to be _forever_?" Booth sighed dramatically and, after handing Bones her coffee, he prepared the cinnamon rolls for the oven.

He walked back in a little later, after the rolls were in the oven, to see Parker showing Bones some of the presents he had already gotten. "…Okay, Parker, why don't you go first?" Parker eagerly fell on the mountain of presents around him. Bones raised an eyebrow at Booth, knowing that he didn't have a budget that allowed for too much excess. Booth gave her a sheepish shrug in return and then turned to smile on his son. Bones then understood—even if it was outside of his means, Booth would live with a little less in order to give his son a good Christmas. It certainly made sense from an biological standpoint that Booth would want to benefit his offspring in order that he might better pass on his genes. It was all science, right? It was just something in the smile that made Bones wonder if it might completely not be because of self-serving scientific reasoning.

"Which one was from you, Bones?" Parker asked, smiling up at her and jogging her from that train of thought. She thought it would be obvious. She had used a simple silver wrapping paper and while Booth had used many different papers, they were all patterned with the penguin _Pygoscelis papua_, or reindeer, or snowflakes, or dogs in garish Christmas sweaters.

She pointed to her present in the midst of the others, saying, "The silver one, there," and Parker happily plucked it out. He unwrapped it with much more care then he had given the ones from his father and found a book on all the different constellations one can see in the Northern Hemisphere throughout the year. "Oh cool! We're learning about space in class next month. Did you know Pluto isn't a planet anymore, Bones?"

"Yes, Parker, it is now classified as a dwarf planet because it is only slightly larger than the other celestial bodies in its orbit, so it is not actually gravitationally dominant. Instead, it is in the plutoid category of trans-Neptunian objects." Parker's eyes went wide and he uttered a small, "Oh" as Booth snickered at the scientific jargon.

"You should come be my show-and-tell for school when we start learning about space!"

"I'm afraid I am not an expert on celestial matters. Now if you are learning about the human skeletal structure…"

Booth chuckled again, "You'd scare half of the kids out of ever being doctors, Bones. With your explanations, they'd be lost in seconds. I can only keep up with you for a minute or so."

She threw back, "Are you comparing your intelligence capacity to that of a class of nine-year-olds, Booth?" While he sputtered, she continued, "I actually feel like you can synthesize my explanations intelligently or can at least infer most of it from context. Especially for someone who doesn't have an IQ consistent with mine, Cam's, or Hodgins'." Most people would have been offended by her comparison of IQs, but being used to Bones modesty (or lack thereof), Booth was actually proud to hear her apply the word "intelligently" to him. "Actually, Parker, this is only one half of your present. The other half is still at my apartment until your dad can pick it up. Open the back cover of the book."

He did so and a piece of paper fluttered to rest on his knee. He picked it up and his mouth formed a small O. Booth was craning to see, but soon gave up and said, "What is it?"

"It's a telescope, Dad! A real telescope! Thanks Bones!" he exclaimed as he jumped up and gave Bones a big hug, surprising her. He then brought the picture over the Booth, who whistled in appreciation. "Looks like you and me are going star-gazing, buddy."

Parker shyly looked towards Bones and asked, "Can Bones come too?"

Booth laughed and hugged his son around the shoulders. "Course she can." Parker sat back down in his spot and thanked Bones again.

He began looking through the book and Bones asked, "Do you know many constellations, Parker?"

'Well, I know the Big and Little Dippers. And Cass- Cassa-?" Bones prompted "Cassiopeia". "But my favorite is Orion."

"Why's that?" she asked.

"Well, he's easy to find. And cuz he reminds me of my dad. He's the hunter." Booth had a surprised, unguarded look on his face and Bones had to look away, seeing just how much he cared for his son and worried about Parker's feelings toward him.

Booth quickly got over the shock and rose. He started stalking around the room and stage-whispering in a bad Australian accent. "Here we are in the dense jungle, huntin' for the monsters that prowl these here parts. Seeley Booth, hunter, is not afraid. But he hears a rustle in the brush…" Here he stopped moving. "Then he sees it! The elusive Parker! He attacks!" And then Booth pounced on Parker, avoiding the piles of presents, and started wrestling with him as Parker shrieked in laughter. Even Bones found herself laughing at the child-like antics of her partner.

The laughter died down as Booth stood, wincing at the twinge in his back. "Ooo, I could use one of your back massages, Bones. Another Christmas present, maybe?" He laughed. "Be right back with breakfast!" He walked to the kitchen and took a deep breath, smelling the cinnamon in the air. He took the rolls out of the oven, shaking his head with a smile as he listened to the chatter and laughter from the other room. He put a few rolls on a big plate and then brought out smaller plates, carrying them all into the room. Parker cheered when he saw the big rolls and Bones complimented Booth on his baking. "Thanks Bones. Secret Booth recipe."

Parker piped up, "Which means he got found it on Food Network." He laughed and Booth, once he stopped mock glaring at the tattle-tale, joined in.

"Anyway, someone has a lot of presents to get through this morning. Why don't you try that one with the igloos on it?"

Crumbs were all that was left on the plate and the garbage bag Booth put out for wrapping paper was growing bulkier as Parker's pile of presents diminished.

Booth stood up and stretched. "Refill of coffee, Bones? I'll get you another hot chocolate, Park."

"With marshmallows, please?"

Booth ruffled his hair. "Sure thing, bud." He ducked back to the kitchen once more and then returned, balancing three full mugs somehow. He doled out the drinks and then bent to retrieve a present. "Open it."

Bones inspected the gift handed to her, which was wrapped much more tastefully than Parker's gifts. It even had a bow on it. Bones carefully removed the paper and slid out a small, square box. She lifted the lid and gasped. Nestled on white cotton was a thick, gold necklace. In the center of the box was a stylized gold framing around a perfect jade. "Oh Booth…" she breathed. "Look! In the middle is etched Cib, the Mayan glyph for wisdom. How…?" She looked at him questioningly.

Booth was very happy at evoking this reaction with his gift. She looked so beautiful with her cheeks flushed and her eyes shining, standing out amongst the trappings of domesticity. "It's from Guatemala, your dig. I've got some connections in the area; they found this. I thought it sounded just right for you. Good, eh?"

She smiled up at him. "It is perfect. Would you mind?" Booth went to stand behind her and as she lifted her hair with one hand, he fastened the necklace behind her neck. Bones closed her eyes, feeling just how intimate a moment this was. Usually when she had a man placing a necklace around her neck it was a man she was currently involved with. This was something different, but she couldn't quite place how. She turned, still holding her hair, and looked him deep in the eyes. "Thank you, Booth."

He looked abashed and he punched her lightly in the arm. "Just being an awesome partner, right, Bones?" To ease the pressure between them, he turned back to Parker and suggested he open another present. Still, however, he found his eyes drawn back to a blue-green stone winking from Bones' collarbone.

"Why don't you open one of yours, Dad?"

Bones perked up and said, "Ooh, open this one!" as she plucked her gift from the floor and handed it to him.

Booth looked curiously at the present and then began to open it. Bones wouldn't admit to feeling a touch of nerves as she watched the wrapping paper drift down towards the floor. When she looked back up at him, her eyes met his directly. "Bones…"

"I have a colleague who traces ancestors and puts them into family trees. I talked to your Pops; he has many stories about your ancestors. Even if I am not sure they are all quite factually accurate…. You are always talking about how people should appreciate their family and I thought the same should go for you."

Booth sat in silence, flipping through his family tree. He focused on a few names- that of Parker, his dad, Pops, and his most infamous ancestor, once he found him- and thought about what she had said. He picked his head up and gave Bones that half-smile he reserved for her every time she wormed a little further into his heart. "Thanks, Bones."

"In terms of value, it is in no way equal to that which you got me-"

"That kind of value doesn't matter on Christmas. And this present is of a higher value to me than any other could be."

Bones smiled, relieved, and then the electric eye contact was broken off when Parker came up to investigate the gift. "After lunch, I'll introduce you to the family, eh, Park?"

Parker bounced up and down excitedly and then ran over to Bones. "You've still got another present!" He handed her a present he apparently had wrapped, as the skill level looked to be that of a young child. As she peeled away the layers of wrapping paper, she admitted that the shape is rather unwieldy for a good wrapping job.

"Parker, it's great!" She found herself looking at a snow globe with glitter and flecks of white "snow" surrounding the grounds of the Jeffersonian.

"Dad and I made it!" he announced proudly.

Booth clarified, "The gift shop for the museum had little models of the building, we found a kit for making the globe, and we put it together. Like it?"

Bones smiled at Booth and his son and assured them both that it was going on her desk as soon as she got into work. Booth reached over to where Bones was sitting and grabbed the snow globe from her hands. She looked at him quizzically, but he gave the globe a few good shakes and handed it back to Bones with a smile that has frequently taken many a woman's breath away. She looked away from him, her cheeks feeling warmer than they had been before, and stared into the glass orb. It was a beautiful sight with glittering snow falling all around the building that had enthralled her from the start. More commonly than not, she found snow a nuisance, compromising crime scenes and remains. However, if she and Booth were out on a case and it started to snow, he'd always pull up in front and they would sit there for a few minutes, silently admiring the picture it made. She wondered if Booth was also thinking of this when he and Parker put the present together.

When she looked up from the snow globe, she noticed Booth quickly averting his eyes. Instead of looking at her, he picked up the second present from her. "Two presents, Bones? You spoil me." He opened the wrapping paper and crowed, "Socks!" Sure enough, she had gotten him polka-dotted socks and brightly-colored ones she had found online with little microscopes on them. The look of childish joy was akin to the one on his son's and Bones found herself thinking of the last Christmas she had celebrated with kids, namely her and Russ.

Booth then started opening a present Parker had thrust into his hands, which contained little ornaments he had made in school. Booth promptly stood and hung them on the tree, to Parker's delight. "Well, that's the last of the haul. There just might be an extra cinnamon roll left for anyone who finishes picking up all the paper here…" and with that Parker was on the job.

"Is it a common trait of men in the Booth family to be food-motivated?" Bones asked.

Booth laughed, "Of course it is, Bones. I already told the helpers at Pop's retirement place what treat they need to promise him for when he starts to get stubborn."

She nodded and then said, "Mind if I excuse myself for a bit? I told Angela I'd call."

"Sure, go ahead."

Bones wandered into the kitchen and called her best friend, who immediately started giving her the third degree about Christmas at the Booth household, with only a short "Merry Christmas" in greeting. Bones answered each question dutifully or brushed them off when they were just impertinent. Of course there wasn't any mistletoe, why would there be? Except for the kissing ritual, it only warded away bad spirits from entering the home, in some cultures, and she doubted Booth needed either of those. The two women chatted until Bones heard Angela's dad calling her name. Bones wished her friend another happy holiday and hung up.

She walked back toward the living room and then stopped in the doorway. "No, I haven't really tried to look for him. I know where he lives, but I haven't wanted to visit. My dad…wasn't a very nice man. To me, your uncle Jared, or to our mom. The real father figure I had was Pops. He brought me up to be who I am today. Tell you what, me and you will visit him one of these days before your mom comes home. Now if you want to hear about a real spitfire, ask Pops about his wife's dad. The man raised bees. Just ask Pops about when he asked for my grandma's hand in marriage. A hive "accidentally" was left open and a whole swarm of the bees was let loose…" Bones listened as Parker laughed at the stories Booth told about his ancestors. Bones moved more into the room and Booth looked up with a grin. "Hey Bones. How's Angela? She talk your ear off?"

"I don't know why people insist on using that phrase when it is physically impossible to talk someone's ear off…"

Booth gave Bones an exasperated look. "Spare me the squint talk today, 'kay Bones?"

Parker, who had started flipping through channels on the TV, leaned over to his dad and whispered something in his ear. "It is? Well I bet Bones has never seen it, so let's watch!"

"Watch what?" Bones asked cautiously.

"Sit down, Bones. It's Dr Seuss's 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas'. A holiday classic! The cartoon, not the Jim Carrey movie. That one was an absolute disgrace. Parker, scoot over so the good doctor can sit."

For as long as the cartoon lasted, Booth kept one eye on the TV and one eye on his companions on the sofa. Parker loved the movie, but he didn't mind answering Bones' questions when she was confused by the premise or the verse. He only stepped in when Bones asked him directly, "So is this why they call me the Grinch at the lab around the holidays?"

Booth flushed a little, knowing that he himself had called her that. "Well, you are sometimes a bit of a killjoy. Remember when Angela wanted us all to go to the Christmas party and you made the squints stay to analyze the man in the fallout shelter?"

"Well, if Hodgins hadn't been drinking the eggnog without proper safety precautions, they wouldn't have had to stay the whole time."

"Shh, Dad, the movie's still on!" The admonishment from the boy between them made them both quiet and turn back to the TV.

When it was over, Booth stretched and chuckled as Parker jumped up to open his new box of Legos. Booth noticed again that, as it had throughout 'The Grinch', Bones' hand strayed up to touch the pendant around her neck, running her fingers over the chain, the stone, and the etched symbol.

"I hope you don't mind, Bones, for Christmas we usually just snack at lunch and then have an early dinner. You good for that?" She nodded, looking slightly distracted. "Great. Want to come help me?"

Bones followed him into the kitchen and raised an eyebrow when he started taking various packages out of the fridge. "Since when have you been a cheese connoisseur, Booth?" A spread of all different types of cheese laid spread about the counter: cranberry cheese, buffalo bleu cheese, brie, etc. Next he started pulling out boxes of crackers. While he was doing this, Bones started rifling through his cupboards until she found the tomato soup he always kept stocked for a sick day (for either him or Parker).

Booth paused for a minute while slicing up the cheeses to glance towards the living room and then towards the woman who was humming something softly while putting water on to boil. 'Mission success?' he asked himself, seeing Bones actually enjoying celebrating Christmas. He then thought that if he had hung mistletoe the holiday would be a little more magical for the both of them, but he cast that thought away quickly.

"DAD! SNOW! It's snowing! Please, can I go outside?"

Booth laughed at his son's glee. "I'm putting dinner together right now, Park. Will Bones go with you?" When she nodded, with a smile, Booth reminded his son, "Coat, hat, gloves. I do not want your mother coming after me because you got yourself a cold."

Parker squirmed the whole way into his gear as Bones put hers on at a more leisurely pace. "I'll be out when I'm done with this." Booth said, leaning briefly in the doorway with a twinkle in his eye.

"See ya, Dad!"

Booth continued rubbing down the small tenderloin and then slid it into the oven. A check on the lasagna looked good and the bread was soon done and popped into the microwave to keep it warm. When this was done, he threw on a coat and gloves. He started toward the door, and then saw the camera sitting on a table. He had meant to get pictures of Parker on his Christmas…. So he grabbed the camera and walked out of the apartment.

When he reached the front door, Booth eased it open and took a step outside. Big, fat flakes were falling, leaving a powder on the ground. He could see it illuminated in patches as it fell past the streetlights which flickered in the dusk. Yet for the peaceful façade, he expected it to be…louder. He looked towards the side and noticed why he couldn't hear his son. Parker and Bones stood in the yard, heads back, eyes shut, tongues out. It would have struck Booth as funny, seeing his partner attempting to catch snowflakes on his tongue, but he was staring at how her hands were clasped in front of Parker's chest and her elbows on his shoulders as the small boy stood leaning back against her. Remembering his camera, Booth raised it and took the picture which would soon gain a place of honor on his bedside table as his favorite snapshot. As he lowered the camera, he looked at the two again, noticing Parker's shoulders shaking with suppressed giggles and the slow heave of Bones' chest. In that moment, Seeley Booth would be hard pressed to say which of the two he loved more.

He watched a stray snowflake drift onto Bones' cheek and remain there, rather than melting. As she reached a hand up to brush it away, Booth ducked back inside. He couldn't say why, but he would have felt embarrassed to be caught watching them. He ran back up to his apartment to drop the camera off and then stood in the warmth for a minute or so longer, continuing downstairs to stroll back out and slam the door behind him.

"Dad!" Parker called, hopping up from where he had been making an angel in the still sparse ground covering. "Did you know no two snowflakes are the same? Dr. Bones was telling me, it's cause they're made up of trillions of water molecules which freeze at different times and temperatures." He sounded very proud of himself for being able to recite the fact for his dad.

"Wow, that many? Impressive. So there aren't any alike in, say, this handful here?" Booth scooped up a handful of fluffy white flakes. "Perhaps you need to take a closer look." He lobbed the snow at his son, who immediately went into defense mode, flinging his own snow at his dad. A quick glance showed Bones had walked over to sit on the step, watching them curiously. Before long, the mock snowball fight turned into a cold and wet wrestling match. Once Booth surrendered, the two boys got up and walked to join Bones on the stoop. Together they watched the snow fall in silence but for Parker humming carols.

"Come on, bud, you look cold." Upon protest, Booth stood and amended, "So does Dr. Brennan. Come on, up you go." With a hand to each person still sitting, he pulled them to their feet. Parker, as usual, scrambled up the stairs ahead of the adults.

Watching his retreating back, Bones commented, "You two certainly wrestle a lot. Are you trying to establish yourself as the alpha male or is it more of a teaching tool?"

Booth looked at her and shrugged. "I just do it for fun. Although I guess it wouldn't hurt for him to learn a little. I'm definitely going to enroll him in a martial arts class of some kind. Why…do you want me to teach you to wrestle, Bones?" A dangerous, teasing gleam entered his eyes as he looked at her. "Or perhaps you want to find out more about me as an 'alpha male'?"

Bones rolled her eyes, understanding that he was "yanking her cord" or whatever phrase it is he uses. She had acknowledged in the past that someone with a profession and physique like Booth would make an ideal lover. An Army Ranger always had to be in top condition, even more so than an FBI agent requires. She often found strong leaders or 'alpha males' like Booth to possess an edge during sex, which she knew was merely an evolutionary adaptation. In every species, the female would seek out the male with the most power who was most likely to defend her, their offspring, and their territory. Yet with Booth, it never seemed to be quite that simple.

She abandoned that train of thought and slowly unwrapped her scarf and shrugged her coat off of her shoulders, hanging them up. She picked a little more at the cheese that had been put in the fridge after lifting out the milk for Parker and as Booth checked on dinner. "It smells very good in here, Booth. It's odd being here and not smelling Thai," she commented, smiling.

"What can I say? I know how to put together a good meal. And I know you can cook, too, Bones, so feel free to take some of the pressure off and make us dinner some night," he wheedled.

Parker, perched on a stool at the counter, piped up, "Yeah! We can do a picnic!"

Bones sighed, but then agreed, "We can do a picnic if you want, Parker." The two Booths started cheering and high-fived each other. "I swear you get younger when you're around him, Booth."

The object of that comment smiled cheekily and replied, "But I am so young still, Bones!"

"I meant that your demeanor is as if you regressed about twenty years."

Booth stuck his nose into the air and insisted, loftily, "I will still take that as a compliment." He then turned to his son and asked, "Hey Park, why don't you grab my phone and give your mom a call." The small boy quickly hopped off of his seat and ran to go get the phone.

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Time passed peacefully in the apartment until dinner, which was just as the guys' stomachs started to rumble. Bones was reclining on the couch, tucked into a blanket and jotting down notes for a Kathy and Andy Christmas. Despite what some people said, the books were not about her life. They were simply inspired by certain moments, such as this. She stretched and rose from the couch, tossing the fleece blanket over the back of the couch. One thing she had to say about Booth's apartment: he liked his comfort. Not that she didn't know that already- she remembered the desk chair fiasco.

She ambled into the kitchen and began fixing drinks while Parker was setting the table. Sparkling apple cider for Parker and red wine for the adults. It was a merry dance with the three of them in the small room, Bones dodging Booth as he came through with hot plates and small Parker weaving between the adults with the agility they had lost a long time ago.

Eventually, all the food was on the table and everyone moved to sit down. Booth caught Bones' arm and murmured in her ear, "Parker's going to say grace for us tonight. Just go with it? I'd rather no theological discussions at dinner."

"That's fine, Booth," she said as she slid out of his grasp and went to sit.

The three people held hands, Parker eagerly grasping those of the two adults and the adults joining hands more awkwardly. "Dear God, thank you for your Son and for Christmas. Thank you for me getting to be with my dad and Dr. Brennan. Thank you for the meal we are about to eat and thank you for a good year. Amen." Booth whispered "Amen" after him and then squeezed his son's hand.

Bones dropped the two hands and tapped her fork against her glass. Booth turned to her, surprised, as she stood and Parker cheered, "Speech! Speech!"

Bones smiled and lifted her glass. "That was a very nice toast, Parker. I just wanted to thank you both for letting me be here today. I know today's for family, which I'm not really…" She paused as the Booths protested. "It has been a successful year and I hope next year is doubly so." She lifted her eyes and met Booth's. "I'm glad I've had a good partner next to me through it all. Without him, I'm not sure I would be celebrating Christmas at all." She tore her gaze away, as the eye contact was growing a little too intense for her, and looked at Parker. To him, her last statement simply meant that she would be working or away. Booth knew that she meant she might not be anywhere at all. "So let us now fulfill the primary purpose of the Saturnalia this holiday was established to override: eat, drink, and be merry." She sat again and dinner commenced.

Booth started cutting up the vegetable lasagna, with a big piece for his vegetarian partner, a big piece for his hungry self, and a small piece for the boy who was already wrinkling his nose at the vegetables. He let his partner explain the importance of vegetables to Parker, who was still awed that she didn't eat meat and only ate "green stuff", as he sliced up the tenderloin. He sighed, admiring his handy work. Perfectly cooked. He looked up suddenly to find his son happily chomping away on the lasagna, albeit a little loudly. He cocked his head at his partner, who explained, "I was just telling Parker how many of the dinosaurs were vegetarians because they got so much more energy from plants." Booth smiled and shook his head, knowing Parker never outgrew his fascination with dinosaurs. Overall, dinner was a good spread: tenderloin, lasagna, a loaf of sourdough bread, mashed potatoes with gravy, and a cranberry-orange relish. The last made Bones' eyes light up when she tried it and she was soon asking for the recipe.

Parker enjoyed the food and being able to chatter at the adults. Bones enjoyed the merry atmosphere and the companionable silence as they ate. Booth enjoyed having a "family meal" that didn't involve Rebecca criticizing him for something or other. He also enjoyed being able to flick his eyes from a happy Parker to a happy Bones.

Once everyone had finished their meals, Parker ran off to who-knows-where and Booth and Brennan started putting the leftovers in Tupperwares. "I'll let you take the orange-cranberry home with you," Booth said, with a sidelong glance at his partner. She smiled and then on some unspoken of agreement, Booth began washing the dishes and Brennan dried them. It was kind of odd, the domestic atmosphere, but something about the holiday made it seem significantly less weird than they thought it should.

When they were done, they wandered back into the living room, where Booth rummaged through a small box and said aloud, "I have this sudden hankering to read _The Polar Express_. I wonder if anyone would like to read it with me."

Parker rubbed at his nose, embarrassed. "Aw Dad, I'm too old to be read to."

"Nonsense," Booth declared. "Never too old for a Christmas classic."

Bones piped in, "Except for the fact that it is written down, it sounds like a traditional form of passing on oral history. The members of one tribe's generation would tell stories repeatedly to their offspring so they would be able to pass the history on to _their_ children. You can find the same phenomenon in telling ghost stories or reading aloud. For some people, it has been proved that their brains are better wired to acquire knowledge through hearing, rather than sight."

Parker looked at Dr. Brennan as if she was a new toy, some kind of fountain of knowledge, and then walked over to sit next to his dad and read the book over his shoulder. Bones sat on Booth's other side to see the story as well, after promising to not criticize inaccuracies. Booth found himself a little staggered by her close proximity, but soon found his rhythm in the familiar tradition of reading _The Polar Express_ to his son.

Bones enjoyed the telling, finding it a charming story in its own right and finding Booth to be an inspired story-teller. He used different voices for some of the characters, especially Santa Claus, and left some of the others up to Parker. Bones even volunteered to be the main character's younger sister, earning a laugh from Parker and a smile from Booth.

When they were done, Booth stood, clapped his hands, and said, "So who is up for dessert?" The group made their way to the kitchen, with Parker scampering in the lead. Apple pie was dished out onto three separate plates and a hefty serving of ice cream (vanilla fudge swirl) was placed on top of each slice. They ate dessert around the table as Parker regaled them with stories from school. Brennan asked many questions about his textbooks and teachers' methods and seemed alternately pleased or disagreeing with his answers. Booth tried very hard to imagine Bones teaching elementary school science and then tried to keep from snorting into his pie.

After they were done, Bones excused herself to the bathroom and Booth and Parker settled onto the couch, where they found _A Miracle on 34__th__ Street_ playing. That was how Bones found them, with Booth sitting on one end of the couch and his son laying across the rest, his head resting on his dad's arm. Bones smiled at them both and draped the blanket that had been on the back of the couch across Parker's body. He smiled brilliantly up at her.

By the time the movie finished, Bones looked over to find Booth gazing down at Parker, who was sleeping peacefully. She watched, intrigued, as Booth managed to slide out from under the sleeping boy without jostling his head at all and then picked him up, still cocooned in the blanket, and carried him off to his room. Booth laid him down on his bed as Parker murmured sleepily. Booth lightly kissed his head and whispered, "Merry Christmas, Parker. I love you, buddy."


	3. Chapter 3

Title: Never Alone for the Holidays

Author: leonsalanna

Summary: Bones is invited to a domestic Christmas with Seeley and Parker and who could resist that Booth charm? Takes place around Season 1.

Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me except the particular order of words on the page. All characters belong to the Bones writers.

Thanks for reading, everyone. I hope your holidays were grand!

* * *

><p>Booth returned to the living room to find that Bones had disappeared. A minute later, she returned, carrying two glasses of the red wine. She handed one to Booth before settling on the couch next to him.<p>

"Thanks for being here, Bones. Parker loved having you here."

"What about you?" she asked.

Booth chuckled. "I am very glad you decided to spend Christmas with us. If not for the religion, then for the tradition and time with family."

Bones gazed up at the tree. "It's been a long time since I had either one. I…usually try to avoid Christmas. I prefer to work, as I don't see why one holiday should have people off of work for a whole week.

"I didn't much like having the week off from Christmas when I was young. Sure, I didn't have to go to school, but it also meant me and Jared were home, with our dad, more. He was always good on Christmas and got us gifts we liked and we would think maybe things would get better. But after Christmas Day, if anything went wrong, the new toys would just get broken. It was sometimes the only day in a month where we would see our mother smile."

Bones laid a hand on Booth's arm until his look of pained remembrance turned into a smile for the woman beside him, who cares for him enough to drag him out of bad memories. Bones removed her hand and they sat in companionable silence, sipping their wine.

Eventually, Booth ceased his study of his empty wineglass and asked softly, "Why do you avoid Christmas then, Bones?" She looked deeply into her wineglass. "Sorry, I'm just curious. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." She remained quiet for a little longer. Booth began to curse himself for bringing it up when she spoke.

"When I was 15, my parents went out to go shopping right before Christmas. They never came back. Russ and I waited and waited." Booth began to look slightly horrified. "We had their presents and everything, so Russ tried to give me Christmas. I refused. I wouldn't open the gifts or anything until our parents came back." She swallowed. "I didn't think…I really hurt him. He left soon after and I was put into the system. We haven't really talked since, because I wouldn't let him take care of me. I was really very rude to him." Booth slipped an arm around his partner's shoulders and rubbed her upper arm. "Did they not come back because they couldn't? Or because they didn't want to? I'll really never know. And I've been alone since." Her eyes were glistening and Booth thought maybe that after 15 was when she started compartmentalizing. It was a long time to keep things bottled up.

Bones quietly sniffed and laid her head on his arm. Booth, surprised, tried not to move, to breathe, scared that she would realize what she was doing and pull away. He wondered when the last time was, if there was a last time, when she let anyone hold her through this.

"You aren't alone, Bones. You have Angela, Hodgins, Zach, Cam. You have Parker and me. We are all your family now." _Because we love you_.

He felt more than heard the sigh as her body relaxed against him. And it was the beauty of their partnership that they could sit in silence and not feel awkward or uncomfortable. Anyway, it wasn't just anyone the reclusive doctor would let in this far. Very carefully, Booth laid his hand on the back of her head. Slowly, he ran his fingers through her hair. And again. And again. Still she didn't pull away. "Tell you what, Bones. Next Christmas, why don't you find Russ and invite him and his family over to celebrate with you? It could go a long way towards fixing that Christmas, at least between you and him."

"I don't know, we haven't talked in so long…"

"Well, maybe now is your time to reach out."

She remained quiet for a few moments and then smiled faintly. "When I was so quiet during school, he used to say 'Marco' and I'd say 'Polo". Sometimes that would be the only thing I say all day." The smile dropped. "I'm not sure I could talk to him. He calls me every year on my birthday and I just stare at the phone until it goes to voicemail. I won't…can't…pick up."

"Bones, if he's still calling, then he still loves you. This is his way of saying 'Marco', but you aren't answering. Why don't you say 'Polo' some time?"

Bones pulled back a little, surreptitiously wiping her eyes. Booth dropped his hand from her head and pretended to not notice. "You are so much better with people than I am, Booth."

He tried a small laugh, "Yeah, well, I can't help the natural Booth charm. Stick around as my partner long enough, maybe some will rub off on you."

She cocked her head and Booth prepared himself for what was coming next. "I would find the osmosis of traits like that unlikely, especially if it is genetic, but anthropologically speaking, it has been proved conceivable through several studies that if two people spend enough time in each other's company their personalities and tastes may become more similar."

Booth teased her lightly, "Does that mean if I keep hanging out with you, my IQ might increase?"

"I don't think it works like that, Booth," she said with mock exasperation.

He just grinned cheekily at her. He then stood and stretched. "Another glass of wine, Bones?"

She glanced at the watch on her wrist and also stood, shaking her head. "I should probably go." She looked up at Booth and his heart swelled to see the happiness in her eyes. "Thank you, Booth."

"Just a sec, Bones." As she took out her phone to call for a cab, he strode into the kitchen, putting down the wineglasses and grabbing the leftovers she had wanted earlier. He placed them in a plastic bag and then returned to the living room. Bones, who was holding the box her necklace came in and the snowglobe, put them into the bag and took the handles from her partner.

They were standing so close. Booth reached out and ran his finger over the thick gold links circling her neck. He traced the etched glyph with a fingernail and then stepped back. He pulled Bones in for a hug and whispered, "Merry Christmas, Bones."

She hugged him in return and then let her arms fall, stepping out of the embrace. She went to the closet and grabbed her coat. With a last look at the apartment, shining despite the dimmed lights, Bones opened the door and walked through, Booth close behind.

They emerged into a winter wonderland, with snow coating the ground and flakes still hanging in the air. Bones sat on the front stoop, delicately tucking her coat under her and around her bag of gifts. Booth looked at her in surprise and then sat beside her, not caring if his pants would get wet and cold soon. There were some moments, he could tell, when everything between them became suspended. They could open up and there would be no consequences and something about the holiday brought it out in force on this day. He could still feel it now, so Booth slung an arm around Bones' shoulder, pulling her in close to his side. She rested her head on his shoulder and he smiled up at the heavens, thinking of Christmas magic.

They sat like that until the cab pulled up out front. Bones saw its lights coming down the street first and stood. Booth, a little slower, was only half risen when she stood and smiled at him. Streetlights made the little snowflakes in her hair and on her eyelashes flare up, winking at the man on the stoop. "Thank you, Booth. Merry Christmas."

And with that, she was in the taxi and gone.

Booth didn't care that he was now quite cold. Or that the snow was soaking in through where he had been sitting. He walked inside, his face as bright as any Christmas star. He tidied up in silence, checked on his sleeping son (who complained sleepily when Booth tried to kiss him goodnight again), and then went to his own room. He sighed happily as he put on a fresh pair of fleece pajama pants and crawled under the covers after turning the lights out.

"Next year I'll tell Santa," he murmured, "all I want for Christmas is a Bones."


End file.
